The only reason to end "don't ask, don't tell": Military effectiveness

In combat, as all who have served will tell you, unit cohesion is crucial. Whether serving as “openly gay,” the definition and ramifications of which remain unclear, will affect that cohesion is the great unknown. The enlightened views of a few urban dwellers for whom “unit cohesion” is an abstraction are not necessarily useful to the debate.

Does the fact that society as a whole has become more accepting of gays mean that the military environment will be equally welcoming? Or will we see special training camps for guys who just can’t get with the program?

I posit these questions with open heart and mind. As a civilian without military experience, I accept my limitations in making such judgments, but would urge those contemplating a new policy to check that their motivations are moored to military rather than civilian imperatives…

“Be all that you can be” was a nice recruiting slogan, but the military really is not about you. And the right to serve belongs to no one.